This past Advent, we engaged in a sermon series on "fear." It became clear as the series unfolded that fear often comes from the unknown. To ease the unknown, communication is helpful. It seems that fear of others who are not like us, or situations unfamiliar to us, often come because we don't interact enough to understand one another. Communication with others can happen using a variety of tools, but the most common method involves speaking and listening. Some of us are good at speaking articulately. Some of us are good at listening attentively. Both are necessary. We want to take the opportunity this Lenten season to enhance our listening skills as a means of deepening our connection with God and neighbor. Using the gospel texts for Lent, our sermon series will pay close attention to the people, places, and messages in the scriptures as we listen to the words we hear and what they might be asking of us.
